It's the Thought That Counts
by DarkElements10
Summary: Katie has a hard time figuring out the perfect Christmas gift for him.


**It's the Thought That Counts**

 **By: Riley**

 **Summary – Katie has a hard time figuring out the perfect Christmas gift for him.**

* * *

"What about this one?"

Pressing her lips together, Katie looked on in dismay as the cashier lifted another bottle of cologne. How many was it this time? She couldn't discern one scent from the other, honestly. And at this point she didn't think she would ever regain her sense of smell. Not after the disgusting musk that was the first one, boy did that clear out the area around them. It was worse than the guys' smelly hockey gear left all over the apartment. Sometimes she couldn't go in without having to immediately backpedal while trying to cover her choking.

It was that bad. The cologne was even worse. She would probably be traumatized for the rest of her life. Thankfully, some of the others had managed to give her nose a break with flowery and spicy scents that at least kept her eyes from watering. But none of them had been right. None of them were that distinct smell she remembered whenever she hugged him. Something that was made her feel warm, loved, protected. None of these were doing it for her and she was starting to lose hope.

With a low sigh, Katie reached up a hand underneath her beanie and scratched behind her ear. She looked up at the cashier as she opened the top of the bottle and pressed a sliver of cardboard to it. Once she transferred the scent to the cardboard she held it out to Katie, who hesitantly took it. She didn't even have to move the cardboard to her nose to know it wasn't the right one.

No. The one she was looking for was a sort of spicy, citrus, warm smell that she had quickly grown to love. It was the only thing she knew that he would really like something more personable than what appealed to his other tastes; sports and music and…whatever else he was into. He didn't talk about a lot of his hobbies, but that was okay. She enjoyed the time she got to spend with him, finding herself going to see him more and more each day.

Kendall didn't particularly like it; he was worried she was spending too much time with him. He was the only one that was worried, her mother was supportive. A bit standoffish to the conversation, not truly wanting to get too into her business and the status of their relationship, but supportive. It was all she could ask of them, being so confused herself.

Was she really supposed to get a gift for their first holiday together? And what was she supposed to get? She, at first, wanted to get him a shirt or some shoes or something. But that just didn't seem to describe the relationship they had. But cologne…that worked? Still, it was kind of a weird gift.

"No," Katie said. She shook her head and sighed again. "That's not it either. I'm sorry; I don't know the name of it. I just…I just remember the smell. It kind of reminds me of…wood? Kind of like going out into nature and what it smells like just after it rains." The cashier blinked at her for a second and Katie lowered her gaze. "I know, I'm sorry. It doesn't help much. I can't really—"

"—I think I know which one you're talking about." The cashier walked to another space at the side of the room and used her key to open the case. She shifted through a few bottles before taking one out and bringing it back to Katie. She smiled, handing it over. "Try this one."

Skeptically, Katie took the bottle, unscrewed the cap and placed her nose a few inches over the opening. Immediately hit with the scent that made her relax, the same way she felt whenever she was in his arms, whenever he was giving her attention, whenever he smiled or even looked at her, protected her the way he was supposed to. It wasn't a relationship that had been going on that long but she was grateful for it.

"Yes! That's it!" Katie cried, eyes immediately lighting up. "I can't believe you found it!"

"Well, it's sort of my job," the cashier said. "I'm glad you were able to find it. I'm sure whoever it's for will really like it." She rung up the cologne, put it in a nice bag, and handed it over to Katie with a receipt. "Thank you for shopping. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas!" Katie called back. She held tightly onto the handle of the bag and did her best to make sure it didn't jostle around too much as she ran from the store and through the mall. There wasn't a lot of time left until she had to get back to the Palm Woods and she wanted to see the look on his face as soon as possible.

The storefronts that held massive Christmas displays made her smile even wider with each one she passed. Garland with brightly colored ornaments, lights, and fake snow dusted store windows and entrances. Santas and reindeers hung from the ceilings and soft music played throughout the PA system, filtering into every store. Christmas was always her favorite time of year—because of the money she got from relatives and the gifts she couldn't wait to open—but this one already was better than the previous ones.

Leaving the mall, Katie climbed onto the first bus that pulled up and rode it to her stop. Then she climbed off and stared up at the house, suddenly nervous. She shifted the gift in her hands, passing it back and forth for a few seconds. Then she tilted her head back and looked up at the bright California skyline, kicking herself. She should've waited for Christmas Day, where she could have just sent it in the mail and didn't have to be there to see his reaction to the gift.

That was always the hardest part; waiting for the reaction.

She swallowed hard, trying and failing to keep her knees from knocking together. She stared up at the house and held her breath, wondering how far she could make it if she left the bag on the doorstep, rang the doorbell, and sprinted after the bus. She wasn't a hockey player, but she had played field hockey, soccer, and volleyball for a while so there was some athletic talent within her body. Though she didn't show it as much as Kendall.

 _Kendall wouldn't have this problem,_ Katie thought, scowling slightly. _He always knows what to do and say._ Closing her eyes, Katie took another deep breath and inched up the front steps. _Its okay, Katie. You can do this._ She made it to the door, noticing there wasn't much decoration for the upcoming holidays other than a decorative wreath, and knocked on the door.

Rocking back and forth on her feet, she held the bag behind her back and chewed her lips, waiting for the door to open. When it did, she turned her attention back to the door and gave a small smile. "Hey Dad," she greeted her father, surprised to find her voice steady.

"Katie!" Kevin looked down at her with a bright smile.

Unsure of what to do next, she waved at him then, before she could change her mind, held the bag out from behind her back. "Merry Christmas. " Kevin looked surprised as he took the bag from her. He shuffled the tissue paper aside for a moment then looked up at her once more. Katie started to ramble. "If you don't like it you can always trade it for something else. I have the receipt in there, too."

"Don't worry about it, sweetie, I'm sure I'll love it." He smiled down at the bag for a moment before opening his arms and giving her a hug. "I'm glad you're here. Come in." He took a step back and allowed Katie to take a few hesitant steps inside.

The inside of the house didn't have as much decoration either; no garland, no tinsel, no lights, nothing other than the tiny tree that was set up in the corner of the living room. And underneath the tree were only four boxes of varying sizes, no doubt form his parents and brother. Maybe something from one of his co-workers, if he was close to any of them. She didn't know, which spoke true about the relationship she had with him. He walked out on the family years ago but now that he was back she was the only one that wanted to try and give him another chance.

Her mother, she could understand, he had truly broken her heart when they had gotten separated. Kendall…she could understand it the best she could; he was closer to Kevin as they grew up, especially with their mutual love of hockey as Kevin used to be a professional player. She remembered her home in Minnesota, how pictures of her father—in and out of his hockey uniform, with and without family—had suddenly disappeared. She was too young to really know what was going on or to question his whereabouts but knew she had been missing something. Since he returned to their lives, popping up in LA when they least expected it, she had yearned to know what it was like to have him as a father. Kendall and her mother didn't have to have a relationship on them if they didn't want to, that didn't have to stop her.

"Considering we're giving gifts early," Kevin said, snapping Katie out of her thoughts. She turned back towards her father and found him holding onto a small box, bringing it from the kitchen. At her curious glance he chuckled. "I wasn't sure if you still had your snooping streak inside you."

She beamed. "You know me too well."

"It's kind of hard to forget waking up one Christmas morning and finding your kids, who you thought were asleep, digging through my closet to see if they could find where I hid it." He laughed as Katie's smile widened, remembering one of hers and Kendall's better moments. "Besides, I couldn't wait to see the look on your face when you opened it."

Eagerly, Katie took the box and unwrapped it. She shook off the lid to the box and gasped as she looked inside. She expected clothes, a CD, maybe even some earrings, but not a riding helmet with her name embroidered on it. She didn't even know he knew that she liked to go horseback riding. Stunned, she looked up at Kevin and found him watching her curiously, a half smile on his lips.

"Dad," she breathed. "This is great. I…wow…how did you?"

"You mentioned something about horses once a long time ago," Kevin explained. He reached out and straightened an already straight landscape portrait that sat on the wall beside him. "I remembered you were always into them and always wanted to learn. You begged me for a pony for a while."

"I did?" Katie's nose wrinkled. She didn't remember that. At all. She didn't remember a lot of things concerning him.

"Yep. Nearly every year. You forgot about it when some other toy of yours—or Kendall's—caught your eye. But then you'd ask for it again next year. And I know you just started having lessons again so…" he turned back to her, green eyes filled with wonder. "Do you like it?"

Katie stared hard at her father, still surprised to know that he had remembered so much about when she knew so little. He had been gone for so long and she had ached for him so much. Now looking at him, seeing the lack of decorations, seeing the sort of gift he had gotten her, she realized how lonely he truly was. Trying to have a relationship with the family he left behind had to be hard, to have only one of them reciprocate the feelings had to be harder, but to be alone on Christmas had to be even worse.

As if reading her mind—due to his being a lawyer she wouldn't put it past him—he shrugged and said, "I'm glad you like it."

Katie carefully placed the box on the ground and hurried over to her father, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding onto him tightly. She had hit him so hard he let out a low grunt, surprised by her movement. "Katie, wha—?"

"Merry Christmas, Dad," she murmured into chest.

Kevin smiled and hugged her back. "Merry Christmas, Katie."

And she knew in the way he held onto her that just being there had been the best present she could give him.


End file.
